BALEIGH'S EXPEDITION. 55 



drew a great deal ot water, he found it difficult to enter the 

 bocas chicas, and was obliged to construct flat-bottomed 

 barks. He remarked the fires of the Tivitivas (Tibitibies), 

 of the race of the Guaraon Indians, on the tops of the 

 mauritia palm-trees ; and appears to have first brought the 

 fruit to Europe (fructum squamosum, similem palmce pini). 

 I am surprised, that he scarcely mentions the settlement, 

 which had been made by Berrio under the name ot Santo 

 Thome (la Vieja Guayana.) This settlement however dates 

 from 1591 ; and though, according to Fray Pedro Simon, 

 " religion and policy prohibited all mercantile connection 

 between Christians [Spaniards] and Heretics [the Dutch 

 and English]," there was then carried on at the end of the 

 sixteenth century, as in our days, an active contraband trade 

 by the mouths of the Orinoco. Raleigh passed the river 

 Europa (Guarapo), and "the plains of Saymas (Chaymas), 

 which extend, keeping the same level, as far as Cumana and 

 Caracas ;" he stopped at Morequito (perhaps a little to the 

 north of the site of the villa de Upata, in the missions of 

 the Carony), where an old cacique confirmed to him all the 

 reveries of Berrio on the irruption of foreign nations 

 (Orejones and Epuremei) into Guiana. The Raudales or 

 cataracts of the Caroli (Carony), a river which was at that 

 period considered as the shortest way for reaching the towns 

 of Macureguarai and Manoa, situate on the banks of lake 

 Cassipa and of lake Rupunuwini or Dorado, put an end to 

 this expedition. 



Raleigh went scarcely the distance of sixty leagues along 

 the Orinoco; but he names the upper tributary streams, 

 according to tht. vague notions he had collected; the Cari, 

 the Pao, the Apure (Capuri?) the Guarico (Voari?) the 

 ?K-ta,*and even, "in the province of Baraguan, the great 



* Raleigh distinguishes the Meta from the Beta, which flows into the 

 Baraguan (the Orinoco) conjointly with the Daune, near Athule ; as he 

 also distinguishes the Casanare, a tributary stream of the Meta, and the 

 Casnero, which comes from the south, and appears to be the Rio Cuchi- 

 vcro. All above the confluence of the Apure was then very confusedly- 

 known ; and streams that flow into the tributary streams of the Orinoco, 

 were considered as flowing into this river itself. The Apure (Capuri) and 

 the Meta appeared long to be the same river, on account of their 

 proximity, and the numerous branches by which the Arauca and the 

 Apure join each other. Is the name of Beta perchance connected with 



